Saturday reader's view: Be an informed voter and vote!

susan McCollister

Updated 11:35 am, Saturday, October 1, 2016

To the editor:

In a little over a month, voters will be going to the polls, hopefully in greater numbers than the 64 percent of eligible voters in Midland County who took advantage of this right in the last presidential election. To help us become informed voters, the League of Women Voters of the Midland Area is providing an online voter guide at VOTE411.org

Voters simply enter their home address, then follow the prompts to bring up the races and information on candidates on their ballot. The candidates’ responses to questions posed by LWV are printed verbatim, with no editing. Candidates at the federal, state and local levels are covered, including contested races in our larger townships. Ballot proposals are also covered.

VOTE411.org will be published by Oct. 1. In addition, a hard copy Voter Guide published by the Midland Area LWV and Midland Daily News will be available mid-October, as an insert in the Midland Daily News. The paper guide contains the same unedited responses from candidates to questions asked by the LWV as found in VOTE411.org

Forums are an excellent way to hear first-hand from our local candidates. On Oct. 3, candidates for the 98th State House District and Midland County Commissioners District 1 and District 4 will meet for a forum at the Midland City Hall council chambers at 7 p.m. This forum is co-sponsored by Midland Area LWV and MCTV.

The public is welcome at all forums, which will be broadcast live by MCTV, then at various times until the election. Check the MCTV schedule online or in the Sunday Daily News for dates and times.

Take advantage of these sources of candidate information to become informed, and above all, vote on Nov. 8 (or by absentee ballot if you qualify and prefer). Deadline for voter registration is Tuesday, Oct. 11, so be sure you’re registered.